Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
by Matte Imasu
Summary: Some pathetic lesser demon is challenging Lina while she's busy eating. Poor soul. But,what if there's more to him than that? Will Lina risk everything to save Xelloss?


Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep By Matte Imasu Prologue:  
  
()  
  
"So, Lina Inverse, what's your choice? Are you going to relinquish your powers to me....or suffer the consequences?"  
  
Lina scoffed. "Oh, please. What kind of consequences could YOU possibly bring about?  
  
And, she should have been right in her accusations. After all, she had faced enough characters like this, she should have received a degree in figuring them out. They thought that they were in charge, that they called the shots, but in the end, she always came out on top, after putting them in their place with a mighty dragon slave or whatever other spell that came to mind. And this lesser demon was no different! What made him think he had a new edge on her?  
  
As a matter of fact, she should have fireballed his ass when he interrupted her lunch in the first place. Didn't he realize that she was THE Lina Inverse? Sorceress Supreme?  
  
She inwardly sighed. She had just wanted one day, ONE DAY, with no demons, no dragons, no one asking her for help. Just one day when all she had to do was eat, relax at the inn, and sleep.  
  
Of course, any joy she might have found in relaxing had been shot down early that morning by Zelgadis, who had informed her that the inn didn't have a pool or even a jacuzzi.  
  
And, of course, Amelia immediately thought Zelgadis meant that HE was loathe to find out that the inn was poorly furnished, and so, she set about demanding to the staff that a pool be built for "Mr. Zelgadis!" They, of course, laughed at her, and she, of course, began blasting away to make a pool right there in the foyer.  
  
And they, of course, kicked out Lina's whole party. (Not an easy task, mind you.)  
  
So seeking retribution for Lina's steadily growing anger, her closest friends had dragged her off to the restaurant across the street, appeasing her instantly. Now, if only she could keep Gourry's hands off her food, she would call it an okay day.  
  
And then, Xelloss had to show up. That's when she knew that this day was progressively going from "okay" to "weird." The appearance of the trickster priest almost always, no always! It ALWAYS guaranteed trouble. Lina pointed this out to him and asked politely what the hell was going on.  
  
Headlocks certainly were uncomfortable. Xelloss had struggle to give his customary: "Oh my! Can't I check up on you without questioning, Lina-chan?"  
  
"Of course not!" Lina had yelled, slamming his face into the table. She had continued eating, nevertheless, determined that whatever was going to happen couldn't possibly interrupt her seafood lunch.  
  
It was at that point that something else had phased in. Right over the table.....a smallish demon wearing a dark-blue cloak, hiding a shoulder- length mane of pink hair. Two green eyes shone through the darkness created by the hood of its cloak.  
  
"So, we finally meet face to face," he had said, flipping the hood to the back, revealing his somewhat-normal humanoid face.  
  
Lina immediately didn't like him. He had the gall to interrupt the sanctity of her meal. Still holding her fork in a death-grip, she said, "Yeah, yeah, who are you and what the hell do you want?"  
  
One green eye sparkled. "My name is Ensomnya, apprentice to the great one who controls sleep spells," he had said, sprinkling something that really made itself a nuisance to Lina: sand. Sand in her food.  
  
She stood up, her mind racing through her reserve of spells, searching for the one that would cause the most pain.  
  
He continued, ignoring her movements, "And, I am here to end your career as the Dra-ma-ta."  
  
Smoke was coming out of her ears at this point.  
  
"So, Lina Inverse, what's your choice? Are you going to relinquish your powers to me.....or suffer the consequences?"  
  
She was ready to blast this fool away by now. "Oh, please. What kind of consequences could YOU possibly bring about?"  
  
Ensomnya smirked. "I'm glad you asked." He blew a stream of sand into the air. It hovered right over his head. "Doze off!" he yelled, and the sand disappeared into thin air.  
  
Xelloss began to say, "So—"but, cut himself off and fell out of the air he had been floating on and landed on the floor with a THUD.  
  
Lina and Amelia looked over their shoulders at the fallen priest. Gourry and Zelgadis kept their eyes on Ensomnya and their hands on their swords.  
  
Ensomnya laughed. "If you don't surrender your power to me, then your friend will sleep forever." He phased out. "I'll give you until noon tomorrow to think it over," his voice said, echoing from nowhere.  
  
"Mr. Xelloss?" Amelia wondered, tapping him on the arm with the toe of her shoe.  
  
"I say we leave him here and live happily and unbothered ever after," Zelgadis suggested.  
  
"But....it's not just to leave him here.....sleeping forever....." Amelia said, softly, not wanting to disagree with what her Mr. Zelgadis thought was right.  
  
"What......happened?" Gourry asked, clueless as usual.  
  
Lina fixated her glance on the snoring mazoku. "Well, I think we have no choice....."  
  
()  
  
AN: So, what did you think? What will Lina choose? We all know that the rest of them will be forced to agree with whatever she chooses. Is anyone even reading this? Flames are welcome! I honestly expect them, since this is my first submission! Be gentle! (whimpers) 


End file.
